Ford Foundation to sponsor dolphin conservation in Asom

Guwahati, May 29 (UNI) The Ford Foundation will be funding a river dolphin conservation project to save the endangered species in Brahmaputra river and one of its tributaries Kulsi in Asom.

The Centre for North East Studies and Policy Research (C-NES) has received the fund from the Ford Foundation to execute the project called, 'Saving the Gangetic River Dolphins, eco-tourism and livelihood.' Eco-tourism has been linked to 'Save dolphin campaign' to encourage community participation and help income generation in the area by involving local people in dolphin conservation.

The C-NES has selected Brahmaputra river near Dhubri in western Asom and Guijan in Upper Asom for the project.

Kulsi River flows quietly from Meghalaya foothills to Brahmaputra River in a South-North direction. The river is well demarcated in the wildlife map for its gangetic river dolphins.

The conservation would be done with a focus on strengthening and stabilizing the dolphin population, analyzing the threats to the mammal and minimizing the same.

Young students and fishermen are the main target audiences for the dolphin conservation awareness drive.

There is a common belief among the fishermen in the state that the oil extracted from the dolphins help in fishing. People in Asom also believe that dolphin oil is a remedy for several other diseases.

Asom Wildlife Department has decided to procure a special organic oil from Bihar as a replacement of dolphin oil.

Chief Conservator of Wildlife M C Malakar said here today that the organic oil would be distributed among fishermen to stop killing of dolphins.

The Gangetic River Dolphin is an endangered animal Schedule I species under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. Any person found killing dolphins or possessing any part of the mammal would be imprisoned for one to six years and penalty of Rs 6000 would be levied.

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